1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for controlling a sheet handling apparatus or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Peripheral apparatus such as sorters for sorting and storing recorded sheets or automatic original feeders for handling original documents to be copied are often connected to an image recording apparatus such as a copying machine, and the operation of these apparatus is controlled by communication of data and various signals between said image recording apparatus and peripheral apparatus.
Conventionally control signals for communication between the sorters and the copying machine are transmitted through separate parallel lines, so that the number of control signal lines has to be increased when plural sorters are connected.
Also in case of increasing the number of control signals and data transmitted between the copying machine and the sorters for achieving multiple functions therein, the number of signal lines in such parallel system is inevitably limited for example due to a limitation in the number of ports of the controlling microcomputer.
Also it has been difficult for the operator to confirm whether the data are securely transmitted among various units.
Furthermore, it has been difficult for the operator to determine whether a malfunction has been caused by a hardware error or by a communication error.
Furthermore, if copying of a number exceeding the processing capacity of peripheral apparatus such as sorters or collaters is commanded, the copies exceeding said capacity are treated as if such peripheral apparatus are absent and have to be manually sorted, so that the sorters are unable to improve the efficiency.
Furthermore, in such communication system, an erroneous function of the apparatus may occur due to an error in the communication, for example due to start characteristics of the power supply, if communication is started immediately after the start of power supply.
Conventionally, in copying operation with such sorters attached to the copying machine, the number of sheets is counted with a sensor provided at the exit of the copying machine. In case the copying operation is interrupted by a trouble in sheet transportation such as jamming in a sheet path from the copying machine to the sorters, the copies lost in such jamming are replenished in the re-started copying operation based on said count.
However, in such counting method, a copy which has passed the exit part of the copying machine is considered to be properly transported, so that any sheet jammed in the sorters cannot be compensated and the number of obtained copies becomes erroneous.
Furthermore, there is already known a sheet handling apparatus in which plural storage bins are transported in succession to a sheet transport position to sort and store sheets discharged from the image recording apparatus such as copying machine. If such apparatus is provided with plural home positions and if bins are stopped out of such home positions, the bins have to be moved to one of such plural home positions prior to being moved to a main home position, so that an additional time is required for movement to said main home position.
There is further known such apparatus in which sheets are stored in plural bins in a determined order and then in inverted order. In such apparatus, if the number of sheets obtained in a job, for example of obtaining a preset number of copies from an original and storing said copies in plural bins in a determined order, is deficient or excessive, a malfunction in the sheet storage occurs by the storage of sheets in a succeeding job in the inverted order.